Hot-air motor



J. KOENIG HOT AIR MOTOR Oct. 4, 1927.

llllllllllllk j flawqw Joseph Knemg Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH KOENIG, 0F MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN.

HOT-AIR MOTOR.

Application filed February 16, 1925. Serial No. 9,499.

, This invention relates to hot air engines, and is an improvement overthat disclosed in my copending application for hot air motors, SerialNumber 741,634, filed October 4, 1924.. a

This invention has the same general objects as those set forth in myabove'noted application. g a 7' Further objects are to provide a hot airengine which has a double acting working cylinder and consequently hasgreater power than the usualhotair engines, and which is so constructedthat energy is imparted to the rotating parts throughout substantiallythe entire revolution. v

2 Further objects are to provide ahot air engine which is devoid ofvalves and complicated parts, but which is strong and simple inconstruction and reliable in operation. j

Furtherobjects are to provide a hot air engine in which a quick motionis imparted to the pistons inthe heating and cooling cylinders toquickly transfer the air and in which these pistons are allowed a'periodof dwell to insure efi'ective heating or cooling of the air before theworking piston has travelled any material distance.

Further objects are to secure an increase in cooling and heatingsurfaces by providing fins or flutes on the shifting piston in theheating? and cooling cylinders.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. inwhich Figure 1 is a vertical: sectional view through the air heating andcooling cylinder and showinrr the quick motion drive.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary edge view of the sleeves carried b thecirculating pistons.

Figure 3 is plan view with the working cylinder in section;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a modified form of air heating andcooling cylinder.

Figures 1. 2 and 3 showing'the first form of the invention will bedescribed. 7 The hot air engine comprises a double acting workinccylinder 1. (see Figure 3) which is connected to a pair of heatinq'andcooling cvlinders 2 and 3. as shown inFigures 1 and 3. Preferably. theworking cylinder'is mounted on one side of a base 4 (see Figure and theheating and cooling cvlindersare mounted one above the the other on theopposite side of the base. The base carries a suitable bearing 5 withinwhich the crank shaft 6 inder walls.

(see Figure 1) is mounted. This crank shaft carries a. crank plate 7 atone end which is provided with a crank pin 8 and carries a cam plate 10"at its other end which is pr0- vided with a cam 10 (see Figures 1 and2).

I The working cylinder 1 has a working iston 11 therein provided with apiston re 12 and connected with the crank pin 8 by means of a link 13,.a suitable crosshead being provided as shown. The heating and coolingcylinders 2 and 3 are of identical construction and are each providedwith a circulat ing piston 14 which carries a sleeve 15. This sleeve,lfiSSllOWIl in Figure 2, is corrugated or fluted longitudinally tostiffen the sleeve in each case, and to provide free airv passagesaround such sleeve. 7, 1 Further, this fiuting is provided in orde tosecure a very large surface which acts as a cooling surface when the airshifts from the hot end of the cylinders to the cool end. and as aheating surface, or regenerative surface when the air shifts from thecool end to the. hot end of the cylinders. The purpose of the sleeves isto keep the air moving in small channels when shifting, and therebybring the air into close contact with the heating and cooling surfaces.

' It'is to be noted from Figure 1 that the pistons 14 are of heatinsulating material and that the sleeves 15 arespaced from the cyl- Theheat insulating piston keeps the heat from passing to the cool portionof the sleeves.

The cylinders 2 and 3 are each provided with an inwardly extending rearportion 16 which is hollow, and which carries an electric heater 17 ofanv suitable type,the electric heaters being slipped from the outer sideof the apparatus into the hollow inwardly projecting portions 16 andadapted to heatsuch portions. At the other end of the cylinders inwardlyprojecting portions 18 are provided and are equipped with inwardlyextending radiating fins 19. Further. this end of the cylinders is alsoprovided with external radiating fins 20 thus maintaining such endscool.

From Figure 1 it is to be noted that the pistons 14 each carry pistonrods 21 which pass through any suitable type of stufiing One end of thebeam 23 is connected by means of a suitable link with a cross-head 25,such cross-head receiving between it the triangular cam 10. It is to benoted that the cam 10 is provided with curved faces 26 which are formedon the arcs of circles whose centers are at the apexes of the triangularcam. This cam is rigidly carried by the cam plate 10 and as such camplate rotates. the cam will impart a quick for ward and rearward motionto the lever 22 followed in each case by a quiet period or dwell,

It is to be noted from Figure 1 that the cross-head 1s earned betweenthe upper gu1de 2-1 mentioned above and a lower guide 27 so thatit isfree to slide in a securely guided manner back and forth as the cam,disk 10 rotates. Any suitable means may be employed for connecting theopposite ends of the working cylinder 1 with the other cylinders. Forinstance a pipe 28 may extend from the forward end of the workingcylinder to the c linder 3 and a pipe 29 may extend from the rear of theworking cylinder to the cylinder 2.

It is to be noted that no valves are provided in this hot air engine anlthat the circulatory air system is completely closed, suitable stuffingboxes being provided for the several piston rods.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows :-Assuming that the partsare in the position shown in the Figures 1 and 3, it will be noted thatthe forward portion of the working cylinder 1 is in communication withthe cylinder 3 and consequently the air is chilled by being brought intocontact with the cool end of such cylinder. thus cooling theair.Further. as the piston 11 of the working cylinder moves forward in viewof this contacted condition, the air from the cylinder 2 which incontact with the heated end of such cylinder. expands and pushes againstthe rear of the piston thus transmitting energy thereto. This state ofaffairs continues for a brief period until the cross-head 25 commencesto move forwardly and, thereafter. the air in the cylinders 3 and 2 iscirculated to the hot and cool ends. respectively. of such cylinders.thus preparing the system for a reverse stroke of the work ing piston.This cycle of operations con- ,tinues indefinitely as long as heat issupplied the hot end of the cylinder the fins maintaining the cool endsof the cylinders 2 and 3 in a cool condition. as stated above.

It is to be noted from Figure 3 that the working cylinder 1 is providedwith check' valves 30 and 31 at opposite ends and that these checkvalves open inwardly and are carried in projecting tubular members. Thepurpose of these valves is to permit the introduction of air underpressure to each part of the working system and to thus place the airthroughout the system under initial pressure. It has been found fromactual experiments conducted with these hot air devices that theirefficiency or output is vastly increased by initial compression for ingcylinders such as shown in Figure 4,

the same principle is employed. However, this cylinder as indicated at30, is provided with a double walled casing at its forward end toprovide a water passage 31 for cooling purposes. The heated inwardlyprojecting portion 32' is provided with a burner 33 which replaces theelectric heater in the other form of the invention.

It is to be distinctly understood that if desired the fins disclosed inthe first form of the invention may be replaced by the water cooled end,as disclosed in Figure 4c, and also that the water cooled end of Figure4 may be replaced by the fins if desired.

It will be seen that a hot air engine has been provided which is ofextreme simplicity, and which is devoid of working valves or complicatedparts. V

It will be seen further that a hot air engine has been provided in whichthe working piston has two working strokes for each revolution of thecrank shaft. and it will thus be seen that a more powerful and a morecompact hot air engine has been provided than has heretofore beenpossible.

It is to be noted further that the engine is substantially fool proofand does not require the supervision of a skilled operator.

It is to be noted that the electric heating elements for the hot ends ofthe cylinders 2 and 3 make the device verv safe as a toy.

Althou h the invention has been described in considerable detail. it isto be understood that the invention may be variously em-* said shaft forimparting a quick stroke in opposite directions to the air shiftingpistons, sleeves supported at their centers and carried by said airshifting pistons, said ing cylinder and the other pipe opening into 10sleeves overhanging the recessed ends and the other air conditioningcylinder, and having longitudinally extending corruga means permittingthe placing of the entire tions for both stiffening such sleeves andinsystem under initial compression.

' creasing their exposed surfaces, pipes lead- In testimony that Iclaim'the foregoing I ing from the front and rear end of the workhavehereunto set my hand at Miami Beach, 15 ing cylinder and openingapproximately in the county of Dade and State of Florida. centrally intothe air conditioning cylinders,

with one pipe opening into one air condition- JOSEPH KOENIG.

